Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Food Review (First Ever!)

Since my current projects have come to a halt, I decided to do a mini food review!

The restaurant I am reviewing is:

Hot Doug's
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For Chicago people, such as myself, "Hot Doug's" is a well-known joint to get some out-of-the-ordinary cased meats (in other words, sausages).

First up, David and I tried the "Brown Ale and Chipotle Buffalo Sausage with Guinness Stout Mustard and Port Derby Cheese"

The buffalo sausage itself was hearty and flavorful, but the combination of the cheese (which tasted like bleu cheese to me) and the mustard could have been left out. I feel like one or the other should have been used, but possibly not as a combination. The sausage did not taste out of the ordinary, even though it was buffalo. It tasted similar to a pork and beef mix sausage.

Next up- "The Mountain Man Sausage with Blackberry Mustard and Goat Cheese".

This was definitely the first (and last) time I had a sausage made from venison, buffalo, antelope, and elk. Personally, I was not a fan of the gamey flavor of the sausage, as well as the combination of blackberry mustard and goat cheese. I can see the sausage being a little better with just the blackberry mustard, but the goat cheese ruined the flavor for me all together (and I am usually a fan of goat cheese). Be brave to try this one.

Last, but not least- "Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel"

This one was hands down my favorite of the day (possibly of all time). The duck sausage was at the same consistency of a chicken sausage (very little fat content). The foie gras mousse was smooth and full of flavor. If you like the consistency of liver, you will like the mousse. The fleur de sel (a fancy way of saying sea salt), topped it off with subtleness that was still recognized, but not too salty at all. This was definitely a hunk of protein with a delicate liver flavor that was creamy and special.

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If you are in Chicago, make sure you check this place out. Doug, who owns and works there, has specials every week (this week being the Mountain Man). You will be sure to find something you like in the world of incased meats. Make sure not to go during the typical "lunch time"- it gets packed.